This week, when “Long Shot” is officially released, a lot of the questions baseball fans have had about Mike Piazza and, of course, all the questions the media has asked Mike Piazza as well as the controversial stories they’ve written about the former Major League star, will be addressed in it.

And the Phoenixville High School graduate — a 62nd round draft choice of the Los Angeles Dodgers who became the greatest hitting catcher in the game before retiring just over five years ago — will be putting his signature on the autobiography during a book signing 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Towne Book Center and Café just off Route 29.

It will be Piazza’s only appearance in Pennsylvania during the publisher’s media tour.

Advertisement

The 384-page book was written by Lonnie Wheeler, a columnist with the now-defunct Cincinnati Post and co-author of autobiographies of baseball greats Hank Aaron and Bob Gibson. Wheeler, during an interview with Newsday, said he didn’t want to give away too many details about “Long Shot.” However, he did add that those still wanting answers from Piazza regarding the rumors of his use of performance-enhancing drugs will find them in the book.

And, as Wheeler was quoted in the story, “I believe he’s clean.”

“Long Shot” provides an in-depth look at Piazza’s career. One critic called it full of “candor, humor and charm.” One said it is “inspiring.” And another called it “one of the great sports autobiographies.”

In the beginning, or shortly after graduating from Phoenixville in 1986, Piazza was considered every bit the long shot to make it in professional baseball.

He was one of the final picks — the 1,390th overall selection — in the amateur draft two years later while attending Miami Dade Community College in Florida. Some called him, and few denied it, a courtesy pick of former Dodgers manager and Hall of Famer Tommy Lasorda — who grew up with Piazza’s father, Vince, and was the godfather to Vince and Veronica Piazza’s younger son, Tony.

Regardless of when or how he was picked, Piazza certainly paved his own way to the big leagues.

A first baseman at Phoenixville and college, and somewhat frustrated by his slow start in the minors, Piazza moved behind the plate. He spent those early off-seasons honing his catching skills. Then, in September of 1992, he made his major league debut with the Dodgers in a game against the Cubs. He appeared in 21 games and hit just .232 that season.

The next one, though, was quite memorable … 1993 National League Rookie of the Year.

In 149 games, Piazza unloaded 35 home runs, drove in 112 runs, hit .318 and was selected to the all-star game, the first of 10 consecutive appearances — and 12 overall — in the summer classic.

Arguably his best back-to-back seasons were in 1996, when he hit .336 with 36 home runs and 105 RBI; and in 1997, when he hit an incredible .362 with 40 home runs and 124 RBI. He finished second in the National League MVP voting both years.

Two years later, or just over a month into the 1998 season, Piazza was dealt to the Florida Marlins in what has been long referred to as one of the Dodger organization’s (and baseball’s) worst trades. But after five games, or exactly a week later, he was traded to the New York Mets.

It was in the Big Apple where Piazza established himself as the greatest hitting catcher in the game.

He helped the Mets to consecutive playoff appearances for the first time in the club’s history. The second, in 2000, led to a National League pennant and storied World Series confrontation with the crosstown New York Yankees.

In 2004, Piazza passed former Red Sox great Carlton Fisk for the most home runs by a catcher with his then 352nd blast. But at the conclusion of the following season, Piazza played his final game with the Mets after his seven-year contract expired.

In the eighth inning of that last game — his 972nd with the Mets — manager Willie Randolph pulled Piazza, who was given a standing ovation by the 47,000-plus fans (and both the Mets and Rockies players) that delayed the game for eight full minutes.

Piazza would play one season each for the Padres and Athletics before officially calling it a career in the spring of 2008.

And what a career it was.

He finished with the most home runs by a catcher (396) and 427 overall, a total of 1,335 RBI, and a .308 batting average. In addition to those 12 All-Star Game appearances — which he was named the MVP of in 1996 — he was a 10-time Silver Slugger award winner.

And if there was one specific aspect of his career few noticed it was the fact he still remains just one of 10 players in the history of professional baseball to have a .300 or better lifetime average and 400-plus home runs without ever striking out more than 100 times in a season. The others? Lou Gehrig, Mel Ott, Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Stan Musial, Vladimir Guerrero, Chipper Jones and Albert Pujols.

A rather select group, to say the least.

Piazza, married with two daughters and residing in Florida, helped the Mets during their “Shea Goodbye” ceremonies five years ago by taking the final pitch from Hall of Famer Tom Seaver. The two then walked through the center field fence and closed the doors for good before a capacity crowd. Four years ago, he caught the first pitch from Seaver in the new Citi Field prior to the opening game with the Padres.

Last month, most felt Piazza would be a first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee, too.

Ironically, because of the controversy over steroid use by others on the ballot — namely Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Sammy Sosa — no one received enough votes to earn an induction.

How the voters could deny the greatest hitting catcher of all-time a ticket to the Hall of Fame is still being talked about and, in certain areas, written about.

The answer to that question, and others of course, may just well be found in “Long Shot.”

*

Copies of “Long Shot” may be purchased at Towne Book Center and Café, on Amazon.com, and on BarnesandNoble.com. Kindle and Nook editions are also available on the sites. … For more information on Wednesday night’s signing, call the book center at 610-454-0640.